Transport battery recharging via virtual power plant

ABSTRACT

An example operation includes one or more of establishing a communication channel between a computing system associated with a plurality of available power sources and a transport comprising a rechargeable battery that is configured to power the transport, determining a value of charge power for the rechargeable battery, generating a request that identifies the value of charge power in a first field and identifies a power source in a second field from among a plurality of available power sources to source the charge power for the rechargeable battery, and transmitting the request from the transport to a computing system via the established communication channel.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles or transports, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, planes,trains, etc., generally provide transportation needs to occupants and/orgoods in a variety of ways where in functions related to transports maybe identified and utilized by various computing devices, such as asmartphone or a computer located on and/or off the transport.

SUMMARY

One example embodiment provides a transport that includes one or more ofa rechargeable battery configured to power the transport, a processorconfigured to one or more of determine a value of charge power for arechargeable battery, and generate a request that identifies the valueof charge power in a first field and identifies a power source in asecond field from among a plurality of available power sources to sourcethe charge power for the rechargeable battery, and an interfaceconfigured to transmit the request from the transport to a computingsystem associated with the plurality of available power sources.

Another example embodiment provides a method that includes one or moreof establishing a communication channel between a computing systemassociated with a plurality of available power sources and a transportcomprising a rechargeable battery that is configured to power thetransport, determining a value of charge power for the rechargeablebattery, generating a request that identifies the value of charge powerin a first field and identifies a power source in a second field fromamong a plurality of available power sources to source the charge powerfor the rechargeable battery, and transmitting the request from thetransport to a computing system via the established communicationchannel.

A further example embodiment provides a non-transitory computer readablemedium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause theprocessor to perform one or more of establishing a communication channelbetween a computing system associated with a plurality of availablepower sources and a transport comprising a rechargeable battery that isconfigured to power the transport, determining a value of charge powerfor the rechargeable battery, generating a request that identifies thevalue of charge power in a first field and identifies a power source ina second field from among a plurality of available power sources tosource the charge power for the rechargeable battery, and transmittingthe request from the transport to a computing system via the establishedcommunication channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a network of transports and othernodes that can request power via a virtual power plant according toexample embodiments.

FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a process of a transport requestingcharging power from an identified power source according to exampleembodiments.

FIGS. 1C and 1D are diagrams illustrating request messages forrequesting recharging power according to example embodiments.

FIG. 1E is a diagram illustrating a blockchain network of a virtualpower plant according to example embodiments.

FIG. 1F is a diagram illustrating an architecture of a blockchain peerthat can be included in the blockchain network of FIG. 1E, according toexample embodiments.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a transport network diagram, accordingto example embodiments.

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating another transport network diagram,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating yet another transport network diagram,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2D is a diagram illustrating a further transport network diagram,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2E is a diagram illustrating yet a further transport networkdiagram, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2F is a diagram depicting electrification of one or more elements,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2G is a diagram depicting interconnections between differentelements in a transport network, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2H is a further diagram depicting interconnections betweendifferent elements in a transport network, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 2I is yet a further diagram depicting interconnections betweenelements in a transport network, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of a transport requestingrecharging power according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a machine learning transport networkexample, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example vehicle configuration formanaging database transactions associated with a vehicle, according toexample embodiments.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating another example vehicle configurationfor managing database transactions conducted among various vehicles,according to example embodiments

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a blockchain architectureconfiguration, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating another blockchain configuration,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating a blockchain configuration for storingblockchain transaction data, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 6D is a diagram illustrating example data blocks, according toexample embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example system that supports one ormore of the example embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system including asecurity processor according to example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the instant components, as generallydescribed and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged anddesigned in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments of at least one of amethod, apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium and system,as represented in the attached figures, is not intended to limit thescope of the application as claimed but is merely representative ofselected embodiments.

Communications between the transport(s) and certain entities, such asremote servers, other transports and local computing devices (e.g.,smartphones, personal computers, transport-embedded computers, etc.) maybe received and processed by one or more ‘components’ which may behardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof. The componentsmay be part of any of these entities or computing devices or certainother computing devices. In one example, consensus decisions related toblockchain transactions may be performed by computing devices orcomponents associated with the transport(s) and one or more of thecomponents outside or at a remote location from the transport(s)

The instant features, structures, or characteristics as describedthroughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “exampleembodiments”, “some embodiments”, or other similar language, throughoutthis specification refers to the fact that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentmay be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of thephrases “example embodiments”, “in some embodiments”, “in otherembodiments”, or other similar language, throughout this specificationdo not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and thedescribed features, structures, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the diagrams, anyconnection between elements can permit one-way and/or two-waycommunication even if the depicted connection is a one-way or two-wayarrow. In the current solution, a transport may include one or more ofcars, trucks, walking area battery electric vehicle (BEV), e-Palette,fuel cell bus, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, boats, recreationalvehicles, planes, and any object that may be used to transport peopleand or goods from one location to another.

In addition, while the term “message” may have been used in thedescription of embodiments, other types of network data, such as, apacket, frame, datagram, etc. may also be used. Furthermore, whilecertain types of messages and signaling may be depicted in exemplaryembodiments they are not limited to a certain type of message andsignaling.

Example embodiments provide methods, systems, components, non-transitorycomputer readable media, devices, transports, and/or networks, which aredirected to a transport that is configured to request charging power fora rechargeable battery from a particular power source from among aplurality of available power sources.

Various embodiments may include at least one of: a transport (alsoreferred to as a vehicle or car herein), a data collection system, adata monitoring system, a validation system, an authentication systemand a vehicle data distribution system. Vehicle status data may bereceived in the form of communication messages, such as wireless datanetwork communications and/or wired communication messages, may beprocessed to identify vehicle/transport status conditions and providefeedback as to the condition and/or changes of a transport. In oneexample, a user profile may be applied to a particular transport/vehicleto authorize a current vehicle event, service stops at service stations,to authorize subsequent vehicle rental services, and enable vehicle tovehicle communications.

Within the communication infrastructure, a decentralized database is adistributed storage system, which includes multiple nodes thatcommunicate with each other. A blockchain is an example of adecentralized database, which includes an append-only immutable datastructure (i.e., a distributed ledger) capable of maintaining recordsbetween untrusted parties. The untrusted parties are referred to hereinas peers, nodes or peer nodes. Each peer maintains a copy of thedatabase records and no single peer can modify the database recordswithout a consensus being reached among the distributed peers. Forexample, the peers may execute a consensus protocol to validateblockchain storage entries, group the storage entries into blocks, andbuild a hash chain via the blocks. This process forms the ledger byordering the storage entries, as is necessary, for consistency. In apublic or permissionless blockchain, anyone can participate without aspecific identity. Public blockchains can involve crypto-currencies anduse consensus based on various protocols such as proof of work (PoW).Conversely, a permissioned blockchain database can secure interactionsamong a group of entities, which share a common goal, but which do notor cannot fully trust one another, such as businesses that exchangefunds, goods, information, and the like. The instant solution canfunction in a permissioned and/or a permissionless blockchain setting.

Smart contracts are trusted distributed applications, which leveragetamper-proof properties of the shared or distributed ledger (which maybe in the form of a blockchain) and an underlying agreement betweenmember nodes, which is referred to as an endorsement or endorsementpolicy. In general, blockchain entries are “endorsed” before beingcommitted to the blockchain while entries, which are not endorsed aredisregarded. A typical endorsement policy allows smart contractexecutable code to specify endorsers for an entry in the form of a setof peer nodes that are necessary for endorsement. When a client sendsthe entry to the peers specified in the endorsement policy, the entry isexecuted to validate the entry. After validation, the entries enter anordering phase in which a consensus protocol is used to produce anordered sequence of endorsed entries grouped into blocks.

Nodes are the communication entities of the blockchain system. A “node”may perform a logical function in the sense that multiple nodes ofdifferent types can run on the same physical server. Nodes are groupedin trust domains and are associated with logical entities that controlthem in various ways. Nodes may include different types, such as aclient or submitting-client node, which submits an entry-invocation toan endorser (e.g., peer), and broadcasts entry-proposals to an orderingservice (e.g., ordering node). Another type of node is a peer node,which can receive client submitted entries, commit the entries andmaintain a state and a copy of the ledger of blockchain entries. Peerscan also have the role of an endorser. An ordering-service-node ororderer is a node running the communication service for all nodes, andwhich implements a delivery guarantee, such as a broadcast to each ofthe peer nodes in the system when committing entries and modifying aworld state of the blockchain. The world state can constitute theinitial blockchain entry, which normally includes control and setupinformation.

A ledger is a sequenced, tamper-resistant record of all statetransitions of a blockchain. State transitions may result from smartcontract executable code invocations (i.e., entries) submitted byparticipating parties (e.g., client nodes, ordering nodes, endorsernodes, peer nodes, etc.). An entry may result in a set of assetkey-value pairs being committed to the ledger as one or more operands,such as creates, updates, deletes, and the like. The ledger includes ablockchain (also referred to as a chain), which is used to store animmutable, sequenced record in blocks. The ledger also includes a statedatabase, which maintains a current state of the blockchain. There istypically one ledger per channel. Each peer node maintains a copy of theledger for each channel of which they are a member.

A chain is an entry log structured as hash-linked blocks, and each blockcontains a sequence of N entries where N is equal to or greater thanone. The block header includes a hash of the blocks' entries, as well asa hash of the prior block's header. In this way, all entries on theledger may be sequenced and cryptographically linked together.Accordingly, it is not possible to tamper with the ledger data withoutbreaking the hash links. A hash of a most recently added blockchainblock represents every entry on the chain that has come before it,making it possible to ensure that all peer nodes are in a consistent andtrusted state. The chain may be stored on a peer node file system (e.g.,local, attached storage, cloud, etc.), efficiently supporting theappend-only nature of the blockchain workload.

The current state of the immutable ledger represents the latest valuesfor all keys that are included in the chain entry log. Since the currentstate represents the latest key values known to a channel, it issometimes referred to as a world state. Smart contract executable codeinvocations execute entries against the current state data of theledger. To make these smart contract executable code interactionsefficient, the latest values of the keys may be stored in a statedatabase. The state database may be simply an indexed view into thechain's entry log and can therefore be regenerated from the chain at anytime. The state database may automatically be recovered (or generated ifneeded) upon peer node startup, and before entries are accepted.

A blockchain is different from a traditional database in that theblockchain is not a central storage but rather a decentralized,immutable, and secure storage, where nodes must share in changes torecords in the storage. Some properties that are inherent in blockchainand which help implement the blockchain include, but are not limited to,an immutable ledger, smart contracts, security, privacy,decentralization, consensus, endorsement, accessibility, and the like.

The vehicle may require service at certain intervals and the serviceneeds may require authentication prior to permitting the services to bereceived. Also, service centers may offer services to vehicles in anearby area based on the vehicle's current route plan and a relativelevel of service requirements (e.g., immediate, severe, intermediate,minor, etc.). The vehicle needs may be monitored via one or more vehicleand/or road sensors or cameras, which report sensed data to a centralcontroller computer device in and/or apart from the vehicle. This datais forwarded to a management server for review and action. A sensor maybe located on one or more of the interior of the transport, the exteriorof the transport, on a fixed object apart from the transport, and onanother transport proximate the transport. The sensor may also beassociated with the transport's speed, the transport's braking, thetransport's acceleration, fuel levels, service needs, the gear-shiftingof the transport, the transport's steering, and the like. A sensor, asdescribed herein, may also be a device, such as a wireless device inand/or proximate to the transport. Also, sensor information may be usedto identify whether the vehicle is operating safely and whether anoccupant has engaged in any unexpected vehicle conditions, such asduring a vehicle access and/or utilization period. Vehicle informationcollected before, during and/or after a vehicle's operation may beidentified and stored in a transaction on a shared/distributed ledger,which may be generated and committed to the immutable ledger asdetermined by a permission granting consortium, and thus in a“decentralized” manner, such as via a blockchain membership group.

Each interested party (e.g., owner, user, company, agency, etc.) maywant to limit the exposure of private information, and therefore theblockchain and its immutability can be used to manage permissions foreach particular user vehicle profile. A smart contract may be used toprovide compensation, quantify a user profile score/rating/review, applyvehicle event permissions, determine when service is needed, identify acollision and/or degradation event, identify a safety concern event,identify parties to the event and provide distribution to registeredentities seeking access to such vehicle event data. Also, the resultsmay be identified, and the necessary information can be shared among theregistered companies and/or individuals based on a consensus approachassociated with the blockchain. Such an approach could not beimplemented on a traditional centralized database.

Various driving systems of the instant solution can utilize software, anarray of sensors as well as machine learning functionality, lightdetection and ranging (LIDAR) projectors, radar, ultrasonic sensors,etc. to create a map of terrain and road that a transport can use fornavigation and other purposes. In some embodiments, GPS, maps, cameras,sensors and the like can also be used in autonomous vehicles in place ofLIDAR.

Data shared and received as described herein may be stored in adatabase, which maintains data in one single database (e.g., databaseserver) and generally at one particular location. This location is oftena central computer, for example, a desktop central processing unit(CPU), a server CPU, or a mainframe computer. Information stored on acentralized database is typically accessible from multiple differentpoints. A centralized database is easy to manage, maintain, and control,especially for purposes of security because of its single location.Within a centralized database, data redundancy is minimized as a singlestoring place of all data also implies that a given set of data only hasone primary record. A blockchain may be used for storingtransport-related data and transactions.

Electric vehicles (also referred to as hybrids) have grown significantlyin popularity in recent years. As more and more electric vehicles enterthe road, more power is consumed. For larger areas such as cities,towns, etc., the consumption of power can lead to power shortages orpower outages that can lead to additional problems such as the increasedcost of electricity for everyone on the power grid, not just electricvehicles. When an operator of an electric vehicle needs to charge therechargeable battery, the operator must find a charging station and“plug-into” the charging station thereby drawing power from the chargingstation to the rechargeable battery. However, the operator has noinput/control over where such power is drawn from.

According to various embodiments, a transport (or other agent) canrequest to have recharging power drawn from a particular source (ormultiple particular sources). Thus, the transport can specificallydefine what type of energy is consumed by the transport. For example,the transport may specify a particular source (e.g., solar plant, hydroplant, wind farm, nuclear plant, coal-powered electric plant, etc.) fordrawing power. Here, the transport may communicate with the availablepower sources via a node, also referred to herein as a virtual powerplant (VPP). In some embodiments, the node may be integrated into thetransport's computer enabling the transport to communicate directly withthe different available power sources. As another example, the node maybe a stand-alone central node that acts as an intermediate between thetransport and the available power sources.

According to another aspect of the example embodiments, a plurality ofpower receives (e.g., transports, homes, appliances, etc.) may form ablockchain network with the available power sources. Here, each powerreceiver and each power source may be a separate blockchain node (orsub-node) within the blockchain network. Each node may store a copy of ablockchain ledger and one or more smart contracts that manage an energypayment process between a node/power receiver and a power source.According to another aspect of the example embodiments, the VPP node mayinclude analytic software that enables the VPP node to identify futureconditions on the power grid and take mitigating actions to reduce thepossible downtime or power reduction before it occurs.

By enabling transports (and other nodes such as homes, appliances,offices, etc.) to request power from specific sources, the strain on thepower grid (e.g., the traditional electric grid powered by coal-poweredgenerators) to be enhanced or otherwise supplemented with additionalclean energy. Furthermore, the clean energy source can be chosen by thetransport (or an operator of the transport) enabling a dynamicallycustomized power draw. In some embodiments, the transport may request aspecific power source or sources. As another example, a transport mayrequest a particular attribute associated with the power. For example,the transport may request the “cleanest” power from the virtual powerplant, and defer to the VPP node to decide which particular power plantis the cleanest, for example, based on emissions tests, etc.

FIG. 1A illustrates a network 100A of transports and other nodes thatcan request power via a virtual power plant according to exampleembodiments. Referring to FIG. 1A, the network 100A may include aplurality of nodes (e.g., ad-hoc network of transports, homes, offices,appliances, etc.) that run on or otherwise have a need to charge arechargeable battery. In the example of FIG. 1A, a home node 112, atransport node 114, and another transport node 116 are shown, but itshould be appreciated that many different nodes may be included in thenetwork 100A including homes, office buildings, transports (e.g.,vehicles, RVs, trucks, boats, etc.), appliances (e.g., refrigerators,televisions, laundry machines, etc.) In some embodiments, a transportnode (e.g., transport node 116) may plug into another node (e.g., homenode 112, etc.) and supply power from the rechargeable battery on thetransport node 116 to the other node. According to various embodiments,a subset of nodes (e.g., transports) may be dynamic/moving nodes thatchange geolocation over time. As another example, a second subset ofnodes may be static nodes (e.g., homes, appliances, charging stations,etc.)

The network 100A also includes a plurality of power sources including,but not limited to, a solar plant 122, a coal-powered electric plant124, a nuclear plant 126, and a wind farm 128. Other examples of powerssources may include, but are not limited to, a hydro plant, turbines,and the like. In some embodiments, the plurality of nodes (e.g., homenode 112, transport nodes 114 and 116, etc.) may communicate directlywith the plurality of powers sources 122, 124, 126, and 128. As anotherexample, a central node 120 may be an intermediary system (e.g., server,database, cloud platform, etc.) that receives requests from theplurality of nodes and instructs the power sources 122, 124, 126, and/or128 to generate power and store the power for subsequent use byparticular nodes.

In this example, the central node 120 implements a virtual power plant(VPP) that is capable of requesting power from any of the power sources122, 124, 126, and 128, and receiving request for charging power fromany of the nodes 112, 114, and 116. For example, any of the plurality ofnodes 112, 114, and 116 may request power from any of the availablepower sources 122, 124, 126, and 128. As an example, a node may transmita request to the central node 120 which identifies an amount of power(e.g., charging power) to be consumed by the node, a type of powersource to be used to generate the power, a charging station where thecharging power is to be stored/received by the node, and the like.

In some embodiments, each transport (or other node) may be an individualagent that makes decisions on its own power needs and requests the powerfrom available power sources. For example, based on what a transportknows (e.g., time leaving, amount of charge needed, recover energy,etc.), the node may request power. In this example, the nodes maycommunicate with the power sources via an intermediary node (centralnode 120). As another example, the nodes may communicate directly withthe available power sources and build up aggregate energy storage forthe node somewhere on the grid. For example, a node may be taking a triptomorrow to a geographical destination and may request energy forstorage at the destination location.

The central node 120 may receive power requests from many differenttransports and nodes in and around a predetermined geographical area.Here, the central node 120 is able to look at different energy needsaround the geographical area and ascertain when there is going to be aneed for additional energy due to events (e.g., weather-related,increased traffic, etc.) that could cause a strain on the grid. Here,the central node 120 may include analytics (such as further discussedwith respect to FIG. 1F), which can predict how much power will beneeded and may request the available power sources for such power.

When the transport is a vehicle, the vehicle may need to purchase energyfor its own rechargeable battery, and also one or more secondary systemsthat the vehicle is associated with. For example, a vehicle mayprovide/upload power to a home, office, restaurant, another vehicle,etc. Therefore, a transport may request additional power for both itselfand for one or more secondary systems. In this example, the transportmay communicate with the secondary system (e.g., a building, appliance,etc.) using messaging performed via the transport's computer andwireless networking interfaces. The central node 120 may be a common busthat multiple nodes, transports, etc. use to communicate with theavailable power sources.

FIG. 1B illustrates a process 100B of a transport requesting chargingpower from an identified power source according to example embodiments.Referring to FIG. 1B, the transport node 116 requests charging powerfrom the central node 120. For example, a computer of the transport node116 may transmit a request 140 to the central node 120 via a wired orwireless interface which indicates the type of power the transport node116 wants, the amount of power (e.g., 40-110 AHs, etc.), an identifierof the charging station 130, and the like. Here, the transport computermay instruct a network interface to transmit the request to the centralnode 120. As another example, the transport computer may transmit asignal via Bluetooth, wired network connection, etc.

In this example, the type of power selected by the transport node 116 issolar power from the solar plant 122. That is, the transport node 116requests the central node 120 for charging power to be generated by thesolar plant 122, reserved/held somewhere on the grid, and consumed by arechargeable battery (not shown) of the transport node 116. It shouldalso be appreciated that the node may select a combination of powersources (e.g., 50% from the electrical grid 124 and 50% from the solarplant 128, etc.)

In this example, the charging power requested by the transport node 116may be reserved by the central node 120. For example, the central node120 may transmit a command, message, etc. instructing the solar plant122 to generate enough power to satisfy the request made the transportnode 116. Furthermore, the central node 120 may identify a storagelocation (e.g., storage bank, etc.) for the reserved power so that itmay be consumed at a time/location as requested by the power consumingnode. For example, the power consuming node may be travelling and mayreserve power at a future location and at a future point in time. As anexample, the central node 120 may request the solar plant 122 to storethe generated power in a local silo until the transport node 116 isready to charge the battery (e.g., plugged-in). As another example, thecentral node 120 may instruct the solar plant 122 to deliver thegenerated power to a charging station 130 identified by the request fromthe transport node 116. Here, the charging station 130 may be a homestation, a gas/electric station, an office, a building, or the like,where the transport node 116 will be.

It should also be appreciated that the VPP software could be installedand operating on the computer of the transport node 116. In thisexample, the transport node 116 may communicate directly with any of theavailable power sources and request power to be reserved for chargingthe rechargeable battery. It should also be appreciated that thetransport node 116 may communicate with other nodes on the network. Forexample, the transport node 116 may communicate with other vehicles,homes, appliances, etc., to exchange power information, reviews,requests, and the like. In this example, the transport node 116communicates with the home node 112. Here, the transport node 116 is acarrier/supplier of charging power to one or more devices, appliances,storage banks, etc. at the home node 112. In this case, the transportnode 116 may request enough power from the central node to supply itselfand to supply the home node 112 with some of the power. Here, thetransport node 116 may plug into the home node and transfer power fromthe rechargeable battery of the transport node 116 to a storage bank,battery, or the like, of the home node 112.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate examples of request messages 140 a and 140 bfor requesting recharging power according to example embodiments.Referring to FIG. 1C, a transport node generates a request 140 a whichincludes a plurality of fields and values 141 a, 142 a 143 a, and 144 a,stored in the plurality of fields. In this example, a first fieldcorresponds to the transport identifier and has a transport identifiervalue 141 a. A second field stores a charging station identifier value142 a. A third field stores a charge amount/value 143 a to be consumedby the transport node, and a fourth field stores a power source typevalue 144 a specifying which source or sources should be used togenerate the recharging power to be consumed by the transport node. Insome embodiments, the request 140 a may be generated by a user inputtingcommands via a user interface of the VPP application (e.g., within thetransport, on a mobile device, etc.) As another example, the request 140a may automatically be generated by the transport's computer in responseto a predefined condition occurring such as a particular point in time,a detection that the charge power has fallen below a predefinedthreshold, and the like.

FIG. 1D includes a message 140 b with equal values 141 a, 142 a, and 143a as included in the request 140 a. However, in the example of FIG. 1D,the message 140 b includes an identifier 144 b which does not specify aparticular power source type, but instead identifies a “cleanest energysource available” and defers the selection of the actual power source tothe central node 120. For example, the central node 120 may determinethat the wind farm is the cleanest energy source based on emissionsinformation, and the like. Here, the central node 120 may automaticallyselect the wind farm for the transport node based on the emissions.Other examples of the identifier 144 b may specify the cheapest energysource available (e.g., lowest cost, etc.). As another example, theidentifier 144 b may specify the most abundant available source ofenergy, and the like.

FIG. 1E illustrates a blockchain network 100E of a virtual power plantaccording to example embodiments, and FIG. 1F illustrates anarchitecture 100F of a blockchain peer that can be included in theblockchain network of FIG. 1E, according to example embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1E, the nodes (e.g., transports, appliances, homes,offices, etc.) which consume power may be peers on a blockchain network.Likewise, the different available power sources may also be peers on theblockchain network. Here, the peers may each share and manage ablockchain ledger. For example, some or all of the peers may participatein consensus before data is stored to the blockchain ledger. In FIG. 1E,nodes 152 b, 152 c, and 152 d are power consuming nodes, and nodes 152a, 152 e, 152 f, and 152 g are power sources that are available toprovide power to the consuming nodes. Each of the nodes stores a copy ofa blockchain ledger 150 which may be a permissioned (private) blockchainthat requires permission to join. As another example, the blockchainledger 150 may be a public blockchain available to the public.

When a power consuming node requests power from a power source node, therequest may be stored as a transaction in a block on a blockchain 154(e.g., FIG. 1F) of the blockchain ledger 150. Furthermore, when power isdelivered to the power consuming node the delivery details may also bestored on the blockchain 154 including an amount of power consumed, acost, a time, an identifier of the delivery source, and the like. Theblockchain 154 may store a transaction log of power that is requestedand power that is consumed by the power consuming nodes. Here, each ofthe transport nodes may communicate via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)communications to manage the blockchain ledger 150. Meanwhile, thestatic nodes may communicate with the transport nodes and other staticnodes using peer-to-peer (P2P) communications or the like.

Each of the blockchain peers 152 a-152 g shown in FIG. 1E may includethe architecture of blockchain peer 152 shown in FIG. 1F. In thisexample, the blockchain peer 152 includes a smart contract 162,analytics 164, and a storage 166 (or memory). The storage includes theblockchain ledger 150 which includes the blockchain 154 which is atransaction log in the form of a hash-linked chain of blocks and a statedatabase 156 which stores only the most recent (and up-to-date) valuesof the different items on the blockchain. In this case, the statedatabase 156 may only store the latest values of different variableswhile the blockchain 154 keeps track of all the changes that occur tothe variables over time. The state database may be a key-value storewhere each item is represented by a unique identifier (key) and the keyis paired with the current value of such item to create a key-valuepair.

When a blockchain peer 152 (e.g., any of the nodes 152 b, 152 c, 152 d)requests power from one of the power source nodes (e.g., any of nodes152 a, 152 e, 152 f, and 152 g), the request may be stored on theblockchain 154. Prior to such request being accepted, a majority of theblockchain peers may need to endorse the request and agree on therequest. Here, the peers may agree on a price, amount, source, etc. Thisprevents unnecessary consumption or over consumption from one powersource. Furthermore, when power is delivered to the power consumingnode, or otherwise reserved for the power consuming node, an additionaltransaction may be stored on the blockchain which identifies the sourceof the power, the amount of power delivered, the consumer of the power,and the like.

In this example, the smart contact 162 may coordinate payments. Here,the smart contract 162 may include pricing attributes for the differentenergy sources offering different types of energy. Also, a user may usecredits (e.g., green energy credits, etc.) to purchase power via thegrid. In some embodiments, the smart contract or the power consumingnode may send a predictive notification to negotiate for better paymentterms.

The analytics 164 may be used to predict energy needs of the individualpower consumer and the grid as a whole in a particular geographicalarea. In this embodiment, some of the peers are mobile (car, phone,etc.) while other peers are fixed (home, office, appliances, TV, etc.)This enables the analytics 164 to collect data from the moving peers(e.g., traffic, etc.) and the analytics 164 can detect what kind ofdynamic situations are happening on the power grid. For example, theanalytics 164 may identify one or more traffic jams in a particular areathat is powered by a local electric company. Traffic jams requireselectric transports to consume more battery power. Here, the blockchainpeer 152 can take action to prevent an overload on the grid. Forexample, the blockchain peer 152 can request one or more of theavailable power sources to have additional energy generated andreserved.

As another example, analytics 164 may connect to a weather source suchas a website, etc., and identify if the temperature is very cold or veryhot. Hot and cold temperatures can cause rechargeable batteries to losepower at a faster rate. In this example, the blockchain peer 152 cantake mitigating action to request power be generated by the availablepower sources so that the strain on the grid is not server.

As another example, a transport may provide power to a house or office.In this case, the transport could be used to augment power beingprovided by the electric company. The analytics 164 may identify howmuch power is being consumed by the static nodes in the predeterminedarea and use this when requesting additional power be generated for themoving nodes. All decisions that are made by the analytics 164 may berecorded to the blockchain 154.

As another example, the analytics 164 may identify when a rechargeablebattery needs to be replaced. The blockchain 154 can track energyconsumed by a battery, and the analytics 164 may this information asinput to determine exact moment of when to replace the battery. Theblockchain peer 152 may request endorsements/consensus from other peersbefore the request to replace the battery is transmitted to thetransport node. The analytics 164 may use a cost analysis or otheralgorithm to identify when is a most-effective time to change thebattery. Each of the blockchain peers may be equipped with the samealgorithm thereby enabling the peers to verify/validate the analytics164. The analytics 164 can be used to identify when to replace a batteryor when to keep charging the battery.

FIG. 2A illustrates a transport network diagram 200, according toexample embodiments. The network comprises elements including atransport node 202 including a processor 204, as well as a transportnode 202′ including a processor 204′. The transport nodes 202, 202′communicate with one another via the processors 204, 204′, as well asother elements (not shown) including transceivers, transmitters,receivers, storage, sensors and other elements capable of providingcommunication. The communication between the transport nodes 202, 202′can occur directly, via a private and/or a public network (not shown) orvia other transport nodes and elements comprising one or more of aprocessor, memory, and software. Although depicted as single transportnodes and processors, a plurality of transport nodes and processors maybe present. One or more of the applications, features, steps, solutions,etc., described and/or depicted herein may be utilized and/or providedby the instant elements.

FIG. 2B illustrates another transport network diagram 210, according toexample embodiments. The network comprises elements including atransport node 202 including a processor 204, as well as a transportnode 202′ including a processor 204′. The transport nodes 202, 202′communicate with one another via the processors 204, 204′, as well asother elements (not shown) including transceivers, transmitters,receivers, storage, sensors and other elements capable of providingcommunication. The communication between the transport nodes 202, 202′can occur directly, via a private and/or a public network (not shown) orvia other transport nodes and elements comprising one or more of aprocessor, memory, and software. The processors 204, 204′ can furthercommunicate with one or more elements 230 including sensor 212, wireddevice 214, wireless device 216, database 218, mobile phone 220,transport node 222, computer 224, I/O device 226 and voice application228. The processors 204, 204′ can further communicate with elementscomprising one or more of a processor, memory, and software.

Although depicted as single transport nodes, processors and elements, aplurality of transport nodes, processors and elements may be present.Information or communication can occur to and/or from any of theprocessors 204, 204′ and elements 230. For example, the mobile phone 220may provide information to the processor 204, which may initiate thetransport node 202 to take an action, may further provide theinformation or additional information to the processor 204′, which mayinitiate the transport node 202′ to take an action, may further providethe information or additional information to the mobile phone 220, thetransport node 222, and/or the computer 224. One or more of theapplications, features, steps, solutions, etc., described and/ordepicted herein may be utilized and/or provided by the instant elements.

In some embodiments, the computer 224 shown in FIG. 2B may includesecurity processor 810 as shown in system 800 of the example of FIG. 8 .In particular, the security processor 810 may perform authorization,authentication, cryptography (e.g., encryption), and the like, for datatransmissions that are sent between ECUs and other devices on a CAN busof a vehicle, and also data messages that are transmitted betweendifferent vehicles.

In the example of FIG. 8 , the security processor 810 may include anauthorization module 812, an authentication module 814, and acryptography module 816. The security processor 810 may be implementedwithin the transport's computer and may communicate with other elementsof the transport, for example, the ECUs/CAN network 820, wired andwireless devices 830 such as wireless network interfaces, input ports,and the like. The security processor 810 may ensure that data frames(e.g., CAN frames, etc.) that are transmitted internally within atransport (e.g., via the ECUs/CAN network 820) are secure. Likewise, thesecurity processor 810 can ensure that messages transmitted betweendifferent transports and to devices that are attached or connected via awire to the transport's computer are also secured.

For example, the authorization module 812 may store passwords,usernames, PIN codes, biometric scans, and the like, for different usersof the transport. The authorization module 812 may determine whether auser (or technician) has permission to access certain settings such as atransport's computer. In some embodiments, the authorization module maycommunicate with a network interface to download any necessaryauthorization information from an external server. When a user desiresto make changes to the transport settings or modify technical details ofthe transport via a console or GUI within the transport, or via anattached/connected device, the authorization module 812 may require theuser to verify themselves in some way before such settings are changed.For example, the authorization module 812 may require a username, apassword, a PIN code, a biometric scan, a predefined line drawing orgesture, and the like. In response, the authorization module 812 maydetermine whether the user has the necessary permissions (access, etc.)being requested.

The authentication module 814 may be used to authenticate internalcommunications between ECUs on the CAN network of the vehicle. As anexample, the authentication module 814 may provide information forauthenticating communications between the ECUS. As an example, theauthentication module 814 may transmit a bit signature algorithm to theECUs of the CAN network. The ECUs may use the bit signature algorithm toinsert authentication bits into the CAN fields of the CAN frame. AllECUs on the CAN network typically receive each CAN frame. The bitsignature algorithm may dynamically change the position, amount, etc.,of authentication bits each time a new CAN frame is generated by one ofthe ECUs. The authentication module 814 may also provide a list of ECUsthat are exempt (safe list) and that do not need to use theauthentication bits. The authentication module 814 may communicate witha remote server to retrieve updates to the bit signature algorithm, andthe like.

The encryption module 816 may store asymmetric key pairs to be used bythe transport to communicate with other external user devices andtransports. For example, the encryption module 816 may provide a privatekey to be used by the transport to encrypt/decrypt communications whilethe corresponding public key may be provided to other user devices andtransports to enable the other devices to decrypt/encrypt thecommunications. The encryption module 816 may communicate with a remoteserver to receive new keys, updates to keys, keys of new transports,users, etc., and the like. The encryption module 816 may also transmitany updates to a local private/public key pair to the remote server.

FIG. 2C illustrates yet another transport network diagram 240, accordingto example embodiments. The network comprises elements including atransport node 202 including a processor 204 and a non-transitorycomputer readable medium 242C. The processor 204 is communicably coupledto the computer readable medium 242C and elements 230 (which weredepicted in FIG. 2B).

Referring to FIG. 2C, the processor 204 may perform one or more ofestablishing a communication channel between a computing systemassociated with a plurality of available power sources and a transportcomprising a rechargeable battery that is configured to power thetransport in 244C, estimating a value of power to be used to charge therechargeable battery over a predetermined period of time in 246C,generating a request that identifies the value of power in a first fieldand identifies a power source in a second field from among a pluralityof available power sources to source the amount of charge in 248C, andtransmitting the request from the transport to a computing system viathe established communication channel 250C.

FIG. 2D illustrates a further transport network diagram 250, accordingto example embodiments. The network comprises elements including atransport node 202 including a processor 204 and a non-transitorycomputer readable medium 242D. The processor 204 is communicably coupledto the computer readable medium 242D and elements 230 (which weredepicted in FIG. 2B).

In FIG. 2D, the processor 204 may perform one or more of estimating avalue of power to be used to charge a secondary system associated withtransport, and combining the estimated value of power to be used tocharge the rechargeable battery with the estimated value of power to beused to charge the secondary system in the first field, prior totransmission of the request to the computing system, in 244D, generatinga request that identifies one or more of a cleanest energy source and acheapest energy source in the second field, and deferring to thecomputing system to select an available power source in 246D, storing anidentifier of a charging station where the value of power from theidentified power source is to be delivered in a third field of therequest, prior to transmission of the request to the computing system in248D, and adding an identifier of a rechargeable battery from among theplurality of rechargeable batteries within a third field of the request,prior to transmission of the request to the computing system in 250D.

FIG. 2E illustrates yet a further transport network diagram 260,according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2E, the networkdiagram 260 includes a transport node 202 connected to other transportnodes 202′ and to an update server node 203 over a blockchain network206. The transport nodes 202 and 202′ may represent transports/vehicles.The blockchain network 206 may have a ledger 208 for storing softwareupdate validation data and a source 207 of the validation for future use(e.g., for an audit).

While this example describes in detail only one transport node 202,multiple such nodes may be connected to the blockchain 206. It should beunderstood that the transport node 202 may include additional componentsand that some of the components described herein may be removed and/ormodified without departing from a scope of the instant application. Thetransport node 202 may have a computing device or a server computer, orthe like, and may include a processor 204, which may be asemiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmablegate array (FPGA), and/or another hardware device. Although a singleprocessor 204 is depicted, it should be understood that the transportnode 202 may include multiple processors, multiple cores, or the like,without departing from the scope of the instant application.

In FIG. 2E, the processor 204 performs one or more of storing a value ofpower consumed by the rechargeable battery, an identifier of the powersource, and an identifier of the transport on a blockchain of theblockchain network in 244E, and electrically connecting the rechargeablebattery to a charging station and receiving the requested value ofcharge from the identified power source while electrically connected tothe charging station in 246E.

The processors and/or computer readable media may fully or partiallyreside in the interior or exterior of the transport nodes. The steps orfeatures stored in the computer readable media may be fully or partiallyperformed by any of the processors and/or elements in any order.Additionally, one or more steps or features may be added, omitted,combined, performed at a later time, etc.

FIG. 2F illustrates a diagram 265 depicting electrification of one ormore elements. In one embodiment, a transport 266 may provide powerstored in its batteries to one or more elements including othertransport(s) 268, charging station(s) 270 and electric grid(s) 272. Theelectric grid(s) 272 is/are coupled to one or more of the chargingstations 270 which may be coupled to one or more of the transports 268.This configuration allows distribution of electricity/power receivedfrom the transport 266. The transport 266 may also interact with theother transport(s) 268, such as via Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) technology,communication over cellular, WiFi, and the like. The transport 266 mayalso interact wirelessly and/or in a wired manner with other transports268, the charging station(s) 270 and/or with the electric grid(s) 272.In one embodiment, the transport 266 is routed (or routes itself) in asafe and efficient manner to the electric grid(s) 272, the chargingstation(s) 270, or the other transport(s) 268. Using one or moreembodiments of the instant solution, the transport 266 can provideenergy to one or more of the elements depicted herein in a variety ofadvantageous ways as described and/or depicted herein. Further, thesafety and efficiency of the transport may be increased, and theenvironment may be positively affected as described and/or depictedherein.

The term ‘energy’ may be used to denote any form of energy received,stored, used, shared and/or lost by the transport(s). The energy may bereferred to in conjunction with a voltage source and/or a current supplyof charge provided from an entity to the transport(s) during acharge/use operation. Energy may also be in the form of fossil fuels(for example, for use with a hybrid transport) or via alternative powersources, including but not limited to lithium based, nickel based,hydrogen fuel cells, atomic/nuclear energy, fusion based energy sources,and energy generated on-the-fly during an energy sharing and/or usageoperation for increasing or decreasing one or more transports energylevels at a given time.

In one embodiment, the charging station 270 manages the amount of energytransferred from the transport 266 such that there is sufficient chargeremaining in the transport 266 to arrive at a destination. In oneembodiment, a wireless connection is used to wirelessly direct an amountof energy transfer between transports 268, wherein the transports mayboth be in motion. In one embodiment, an idle vehicle, such as a vehicle266 (which may be autonomous) is directed to provide an amount of energyto a charging station 270 and return to the original location (forexample, its original location or a different destination). In oneembodiment, a mobile energy storage unit (not shown) is used to collectsurplus energy from at least one other transport 268 and transfer thestored, surplus energy at a charging station 270. In one embodiment,factors determine an amount of energy to transfer to a charging station270, such as distance, time, as well as traffic conditions, roadconditions, environmental/weather conditions, the vehicle's condition(weight, etc.), an occupant(s) schedule while utilizing the vehicle, aprospective occupant(s) schedule waiting for the vehicle, etc. In oneembodiment, the transport(s) 268, the charging station(s) 270 and/or theelectric grid(s) 272 can provide energy to the transport 266.

In one embodiment, the solutions described and depicted herein can beutilized to determine load effects on the transport and/or the system,to provide energy to the transport and/or the system based on futureneeds and/or priorities, and provide intelligence between an apparatuscontaining a module and a vehicle allowing the processor of theapparatus to wirelessly communicate with a vehicle regarding an amountof energy store in a battery on the vehicle. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to provide charge to a location from atransport based on factors such as the temperature at the location, thecost of the energy and the power level at the location. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to manage an amount ofenergy remaining in a transport after a portion of charge has beentransferred to a charging station. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to notify a vehicle to provide an amount of energy frombatteries on the transport wherein the amount of energy to transfer isbased on the distance of the transport to a module to receive theenergy.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to use a mobileenergy storage unit that uses a determined path to travel to transportsthat have excess energy and deposit the stored energy into the electricgrid. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to determinea priority of the transport's determination of the need to provideenergy to grid, and the priority of a current need of the transport,such as the priority of a passenger, or upcoming passenger, or currentcargo, or upcoming cargo. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to determine that when a vehicle is idle, the vehicle decidesto maneuver to a location to discharge excess energy to the energy grid,then return to the previous location. In one embodiment, the solutionscan also be utilized to determine an amount of energy needed by atransport to provide another transport with needed energy via transportto transport energy transfer based on one or more conditions such asweather, traffic, road conditions, car conditions, and occupants and/orgoods in another transport, and instruct the transport to route toanother transport and provide the energy. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to transfer energy from one vehicle inmotion to another vehicle in motion. In one embodiment, the solutionscan also be utilized to retrieve energy by a transport based on anexpended energy by the transport to reach a meeting location withanother transport, provide a service, and an estimated expended energyto return to an original location. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to provide a remaining distance needed to a chargingstation, and the charging station to determine an amount of energy to beretrieved from the transport wherein the amount of charge remaining isbased on the remaining distance. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to manage a transport that is concurrently charged bymore than one point at the same time, such as both a charging stationvia a wired connection and another transport via a wireless connection.In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to apply apriority to the dispensing of energy to transports wherein a priority isgiven to those transports that will provide a portion of their storedcharge to another entity such as an electric grid, a residence, and thelike. Further, the instant solution as described and depicted withrespect to FIG. 2F can be utilized in this and other networks and/orsystems.

FIG. 2G is a diagram showing interconnections between different elements275. The instant solution may be stored and/or executed entirely orpartially on and/or by one or more computing devices 278′, 279′, 281′,282′, 283′, 284′, 276′, 285′, 287′ and 277′ associated with variousentities, all communicably coupled and in communication with a network286. A database 287 is communicably coupled to the network and allowsfor the storage and retrieval of data. In one embodiment, the databaseis an immutable ledger. One or more of the various entities may be atransport 276, one or more service provider 279, one or more publicbuildings 281, one or more traffic infrastructure 282, one or moreresidential dwellings 283, an electric grid/charging station 284, amicrophone 285, and/or another transport 277. Other entities and/ordevices, such as one or more private users using a smartphone 278, alaptop 280, and/or a wearable device may also interwork with the instantsolution. The smartphone 278, laptop 280, the microphone 285, and otherdevices may be connected to one or more of the connected computingdevices 278′, 279′, 281′, 282′, 283′, 284′, 276′, 285′, 287′, and 277′.The one or more public buildings 281 may include various agencies. Theone or more public buildings 281 may utilize a computing device 281′.The one or more service provider 279 may include a dealership, a towtruck service, a collision center or other repair shop. The one or moreservice provider 279 may utilize a computing apparatus 279′. Thesevarious computer devices may be directly and/or communicably coupled toone another such as via wired networks, wireless networks, blockchainnetworks, and the like. The microphone 285 may be utilized as a virtualassistant, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, the one or more trafficinfrastructure 282 may include one or more traffic signals, one or moresensors including one or more cameras, vehicle speed sensors or trafficsensors, and/or other traffic infrastructure. The one or more trafficinfrastructure 282 may utilize a computing device 282′.

In one embodiment, a transport 277/276 is capable of transporting aperson, an object, a permanently or temporarily affixed apparatus, andthe like. In one embodiment, the transport 277 may communicate withtransport 276 via V2V communication, through the computers associatedwith each transport 276′ and 277′ and may be referred to as a transport,car, vehicle, automobile, and the like. The transport 276/277 may be aself-propelled wheeled conveyance, such as a car, a sports utilityvehicle, a truck, a bus, a van, or other motor or battery-driven or fuelcell-driven transport. For example, transport 276/277 may be an electricvehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, a plug-inhybrid vehicle, or any other type of vehicle that has a fuel cell stack,a motor, and/or a generator. Other examples of vehicles includebicycles, scooters, trains, planes, or boats, and any other form ofconveyance that is capable of transportation. The transport 276/277 maybe semi-autonomous or autonomous. For example, transport 276/277 may beself-maneuvering and navigate without human input. An autonomous vehiclemay have and use one or more sensors and/or a navigation unit to driveautonomously.

In one embodiment, the solutions described and depicted herein can beutilized to determine an access to a transport via consensus ofblockchain. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toperform profile validation before allowing an occupant to use atransport. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to havethe transport indicate (visually, but also verbally in anotherembodiment, etc.) on or from the transport for an action the user needsto perform (that could be pre-recorded) and verify that it is thecorrect action. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toprovide an ability to for a transport to determine, based on the risklevel associated with data and driving environment, how to bifurcate thedata and distribute a portion of the bifurcated data, with a lower risklevel during a safe driving environment, to the occupant, and laterdistributing a remaining portion of the bifurcated data, with a higherrisk level, to the occupant after the occupant has departed thetransport. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized tohandle the transfer of a vehicle across boundaries (such as acountry/state/etc.) through the use of blockchain and/or smart contractsand apply the rules of the new area to the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to allow atransport to continue to operate outside a boundary when a consensus isreached by the transport based on the operation of the transport andcharacteristics of an occupant of the transport. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to analyze the available dataupload/download speed of a transport, size of the file andspeed/direction the transport is traveling, to determine the distanceneeded to complete a data upload/download and assign a secure areaboundary for the data upload/download to be executed. In one embodiment,the solutions can also be utilized to perform a normally dangerousmaneuver in a safe manner, such as when the system determines that anexit is upcoming and when the transport is seemingly not prepared toexit (e.g., in the incorrect lane or traveling at a speed that is notconducive to making the upcoming exit) and instruct the subjecttransport as well as other proximate transports to allow the subjecttransport to exit in a safe manner. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to use one or more vehicles to validate diagnostics ofanother transport while both the one or more vehicles and the othertransport are in motion.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to detect laneusage at a location and time of day to either inform an occupant of atransport or direct the transport to recommend or not recommend a lanechange. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toeliminate the need to send information through the mail and the need fora driver/occupant to respond by making a payment through the mail or inperson. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to providea service to an occupant of a transport, wherein the service provided isbased on a subscription, and wherein the permission is acquired fromother transports connected to the profile of the occupant. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to record changes in thecondition of a rented object. In one embodiment, the solutions can alsobe utilized to seek a blockchain consensus from other transports thatare in proximity to a damaged transport. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to receive media, from a server such asan insurance entity server, from the transport computer, which may berelated to an accident. The server accesses one or more media files toaccess the damage to the transport and stores the damage assessment ontoa blockchain. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toobtain a consensus to determine the severity of an event from a numberof devices over various times prior to the event related to a transport.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to solve a problemwith a lack of video evidence for transport-related accidents. Thecurrent solution details the querying of media, by the transportinvolved in the accident, related to the accident from other transportsthat may have been proximate to the accident. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to utilize transports and other devices(for example, a pedestrian's cell phone, a streetlight camera, etc.) torecord specific portions of a damaged transport.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to warn anoccupant when a transport is navigating toward a dangerous area and/orevent, allowing for a transport to notify occupants or a centralcontroller of a potentially dangerous area on or near the currenttransport route. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilizedto detect when a transport traveling at a high rate of speed, at leastone other transport is used to assist in slowing down the transport in amanner that minimally affects traffic. In one embodiment, the solutionscan also be utilized to identify a dangerous driving situation wheremedia is captured by the vehicle involved in the dangerous drivingsituation. A geofence is established based on the distance of thedangerous driving situation, and additional media is captured by atleast one other vehicle within the established geofence. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to send a notification toone or more occupants of a transport that that transport is approachinga traffic control marking on a road, then if a transport crosses amarking, receiving indications of poor driving from other, nearbytransports. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized tomake a transport partially inoperable by (in certain embodiments),limiting speed, limiting the ability to be near another vehicle,limiting speed to a maximum, and allowing only a given number of milesallowed per time period.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to overcome a needfor reliance on software updates to correct issues with a transport whenthe transport is not being operated correctly. Through the observationof other transports on a route, a server will receive data frompotentially multiple other transports observing an unsafe or incorrectoperation of a transport. Through analysis, these observations mayresult in a notification to the transport when the data suggest anunsafe or incorrect operation. In one embodiment, the solutions can alsobe utilized to provide notification between a transport and apotentially dangerous situation involving a person external to thetransport. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to senddata to a server by devices either associated with an accident with atransport, or devices proximate to the accident. Based on the severityof the accident or near accident, the server notifies the senders of thedata. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to providerecommendations for operating a transport to either a driver or occupantof a transport based on the analysis of data. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to establish a geo-fence associated witha physical structure and determining payment responsibility to thetransport. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized tocoordinate the ability to drop off a vehicle at a location using boththe current state at the location, and a proposed future state usingnavigation destinations of other vehicles. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to coordinate the ability toautomatically arrange for the drop off of a vehicle at a location suchas a transport rental entity.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to move transportto another location based on a user's event. More particularly, thesystem tracks a user's device, and modifies the transport to be movedproximate to the user upon the conclusion of the original event, or amodified event. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toallow for the validation of available locations within an area throughthe existing transports within the area. The approximate time when alocation may be vacated is also determined based on verifications fromthe existing transports. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to move a transport to closer parking spaces as one becomesavailable and the elapsed time since initially parking is less than theaverage time of the event. Furthermore, moving the transport to a finalparking space when the event is completed or according to a location ofa device associated with at least one occupant of the transport. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to plan for the parkingprior to the upcoming crowd. The system interacts with the transport tooffer some services at a less than full price and/or guide the transportto alternative parking locations based on a priority of the transport,increasing optimization of the parking situation before arriving.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to sell fractionalownership in transports or in determining pricing and availability inride-sharing applications. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to provide accurate and timely reports of dealership salesactivities well beyond what is currently available. In one embodiment,the solutions can also be utilized to allow a dealership to request anasset over the blockchain. By using the blockchain, a consensus isobtained before any asset is moved. Additionally, the process isautomated, and payment may be initiated over the blockchain. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to arrange agreementsthat are made with multiple entities (such as service centers) wherein aconsensus is acquired, and an action performed (such as diagnostics). Inone embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to associate digitalkeys with multiple users. A first user may be the operator of thetransport, and a second user is the responsible party for the transport.These keys are authorized by a server where the proximity of the keysare validated against the location of a service provider. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to determine a neededservice on a transport destination. One or more service locations arelocated that are able to provide the needed service that is both withinan area on route to the destination and has availability to perform theservice. The navigation of the transport is updated with the determinedservice location. A smart contract is identified that contains acompensation value for the service, and a blockchain transaction isstored in a distributed ledger for the transaction.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to interfacing aservice provider transport with a profile of an occupant of a transportto determine services and goods which may be of interest to occupants ina transport. These services and goods are determined by an occupant'shistory and/or preferences. The transport then receives offers from theservice provider transport and, in another embodiment, meets thetransport to provide the service/good. In one embodiment, the solutionscan also be utilized to detect a transport within a range and send aservice offer to the transport (such as a maintenance offer, a productoffer, or the like). An agreement is made between the system and thetransport, and a service provider is selected by the system to providethe agreement. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toassign one or more transports as a roadway manager, where the roadwaymanager assists in the control of traffic. The roadway manager maygenerate a roadway indicator (such as lights, displays, sounds) toassist in the flow of traffic. In one embodiment, the solutions can alsobe utilized to alert a driver of a transport by a device, wherein thedevice may be the traffic light or near an intersection. The alert issent upon an event, such as when a light turns green and the transportin the front of a list of transports does not move.

FIG. 2H is another block diagram showing interconnections betweendifferent elements in one example 290. A transport 276 is presented andincludes ECUs 295, 296, and a Head Unit (otherwise known as anInfotainment System) 297. An Electrical Control Unit (ECU) is anembedded system in automotive electronics controlling one or more of theelectrical systems or subsystems in a transport. ECUs may include butare not limited to the management of a transport's engine, brake system,gearbox system, door locks, dashboard, airbag system, infotainmentsystem, electronic differential, and active suspension. ECUs areconnected to the transport's Controller Area Network (CAN) bus 294. TheECUs may also communicate with a transport computer 298 via the CAN bus294. The transport's processors/sensors (such as the transport computer)298 can communicate with external elements, such as a server 293 via anetwork 292 (such as the Internet). Each ECU 295, 296 and Head Unit 297may contain its own security policy. The security policy definespermissible processes that are able to be executed in the propercontext. In one embodiment, the security policy may be partially orentirely provided in the transport computer 298.

ECUs 295, 296 and Head Unit 297 may each include a custom securityfunctionality element 299 defining authorized processes and contextswithin which those processes are permitted to run. Context-basedauthorization to determine validity if a process is able to be executedallows ECUs to maintain secure operation and prevent unauthorized accessfrom elements such as the transport's Controller Area Network (CAN Bus).When an ECU encounters a process that is unauthorized, that ECU canblock the process from operating. Automotive ECUs can use differentcontexts to determine whether a process is operating within itspermitted bounds, such as proximity contexts such as nearby objects,distance to approaching objects, speed, and trajectory relative to othermoving objects, operational contexts such as an indication of whetherthe transport is moving or parked, the transport's current speed, thetransmission state, user-related contexts such as devices connected tothe transport via wireless protocols, use of the infotainment, cruisecontrol, parking assist, driving assist, location-based contexts, and/orother contexts.

In one embodiment, the solutions described and depicted herein can beutilized to make a transport partially inoperable by (in certainembodiments), limiting speed, limiting the ability to be near anothervehicle, limiting speed to a maximum, and allowing only a given numbersof miles allowed per time period. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to use a blockchain to facilitate exchange of vehiclepossession wherein data is sent to a server by devices either associatedwith an accident with a transport, or devices proximate to the accident.Based on the severity of the accident or near accident, the servernotifies the senders of the data. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to help the transport to avoid accidents, such as whenthe transport is involved in an accident by a server that queries othertransports that are proximate to the accident. The server seeks toobtain data from the other transports, allowing the server to gain anunderstanding of the nature of the accident from multiple vantagepoints. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized todetermine that sounds from a transport are atypical and transmit datarelated to the sounds as well as a possible source location to a serverwherein the server can determine possible causes and avoid a potentiallydangerous situation. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to establish a location boundary via the system when atransport is involved in an accident. This boundary is based on decibelsassociated with the accident. Multimedia content for a device within theboundary is obtained to assist in further understanding the scenario ofthe accident. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized toassociate a vehicle with an accident, then capture media obtained bydevices proximate to the location of the accident. The captured media issaved as a media segment. The media segment is sent to another computingdevice which builds a sound profile of the accident. This sound profilewill assist in understanding more details surrounding the accident.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to utilize sensorsto record audio, video, motion, etc. to record an area where a potentialevent has occurred, such as if a transport comes in contact or may comein contact with another transport (while moving or parked), the systemcaptures data from the sensors which may reside on one or more of thetransports and/or on fixed or mobile objects. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to determine that a transport has beendamaged by using sensor data to identify a new condition of thetransport during a transport event and comparing the condition to atransport condition profile, making it possible to safely and securelycapture critical data from a transport that is about to be engaged in adetrimental event.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to warn occupantsof a transport when the transport, via one or more sensors, hasdetermined that it is approaching or going down a one-way road theincorrect way. The transport has sensors/cameras/maps interacting withthe system of the current solution. The system knows the geographiclocation of one-way streets. The system may audibly inform theoccupants, “Approaching a one-way street”, for example. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to allow the transport toget paid allowing autonomous vehicle owners to monetize the data theirvehicle sensors collect and store creating an incentive for vehicleowners to share their data and provide entities with additional datathrough which to improve the performance of future vehicles, provideservices to the vehicle owners, etc.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to either increaseor decrease a vehicle's features according to the action of the vehicleover a period of time. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to assign a fractional ownership to a transport. Sensor datarelated to one or more transports and a device proximate to thetransport are used to determine a condition of the transport. Thefractional ownership of the transport is determined based on thecondition and a new responsibility of the transport is provided. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide data to areplacement/upfitting component, wherein the data attempts to subvert anauthorized functionality of the replacement/upfitting component, andresponsive to a non-subversion of the authorized functionality,permitting, by the component, use of the authorized functionality of thereplacement/upfitting component.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provideindividuals the ability to ensure that an occupant should be in atransport and for that occupant to reach a particular destination.Further, the system ensures a driver (if a non-autonomous transport)and/or other occupants are authorized to interact with the occupant.Also, pickups, drop-offs and location are noted. All of the above arestored in an immutable fashion on a blockchain. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to determine characteristics of a drivervia an analysis of driving style and other elements to take action inthe event that the driver is not driving in a normal manner, such as amanner in which the driver has previously driven in a particularcondition, for example during the day, at night, in the rain, in thesnow, etc. Further, the attributes of the transport are also taken intoaccount. Attributes consist of weather, whether the headlights are on,whether navigation is being used, a HUD is being used, volume of mediabeing played, etc. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilizedto notify occupants in a transport of a dangerous situation when itemsinside the transport signify that the occupants may not be aware of thedangerous situation.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to mountcalibration devices on a rig that is fixed to a vehicle wherein thevarious sensors on the transport are able to automatically self-adjustbased on what should be detected by the calibration devices as comparedto what is actually detected. In one embodiment, the solutions can alsobe utilized to use a blockchain to require consensus from a plurality ofservice centers when a transport needing service sends malfunctioninformation allowing remote diagnostic functionality wherein a consensusis required from other service centers on what a severity threshold isfor the data. Once the consensus is received, the service center maysend the malfunction security level to the blockchain to be stored. Inone embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to determine adifference in sensor data external to the transport and the transport'sown sensor data. The transport requests, from a server, a software torectify the issue. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilizedto allow for the messaging of transports that are either nearby, or inthe area, when an event occurs (e.g., a collision).

Referring to FIG. 2I, an operating environment 290A for a connectedtransport is illustrated according to some embodiments. As depicted, thetransport 276 includes a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus 291Aconnecting elements 292A—299A of the transport. Other elements may beconnected to the CAN bus and are not depicted herein. The depictedelements connected to the CAN bus include a sensor set 292A, ElectronicControl Units 293A, autonomous features or Advanced Driver AssistanceSystems (ADAS) 294A, and the navigation system 295A. In someembodiments, the transport 276 includes a processor 296A, a memory 297A,a communication unit 298A, and an electronic display 299A.

The processor 296A includes an arithmetic logic unit, a microprocessor,a general-purpose controller, and/or a similar processor array toperform computations and provide electronic display signals to a displayunit 299A. The processor 296A processes data signals and may includevarious computing architectures including a complex instruction setcomputer (CISC) architecture, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)architecture, or an architecture implementing a combination ofinstruction sets. The transport 276 may include one or more processors296A. Other processors, operating systems, sensors, displays, andphysical configurations that are communicably coupled to one another(not depicted) may be used with the instant solution.

Memory 297A is a non-transitory memory storing instructions or data thatmay be accessed and executed by the processor 296A. The instructionsand/or data may include code to perform the techniques described herein.The memory 297A may be a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) device, astatic random-access memory (SRAM) device, flash memory, or some othermemory device. In some embodiments, the memory 297A also may includenon-volatile memory or a similar permanent storage device and mediawhich may include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROMdevice, a DVD-ROM device, a DVD-RAM device, a DVD-RW device, a flashmemory device, or some other mass storage device for storing informationon a permanent basis. A portion of the memory 297A may be reserved foruse as a buffer or virtual random-access memory (virtual RAM). Thetransport 276 may include one or more memories 297A without deviatingfrom the current solution.

The memory 297A of the transport 276 may store one or more of thefollowing types of data: navigation route data 295A, and autonomousfeatures data 294A. In some embodiments, the memory 297A stores datathat may be necessary for the navigation application 295A to provide thefunctions.

The navigation system 295A may describe at least one navigation routeincluding a start point and an endpoint. In some embodiments, thenavigation system 295A of the transport 276 receives a request from auser for navigation routes wherein the request includes a starting pointand an ending point. The navigation system 295A may query a real-timedata server 293 (via a network 292), such as a server that providesdriving directions, for navigation route data corresponding tonavigation routes including the start point and the endpoint. Thereal-time data server 293 transmits the navigation route data to thetransport 276 via a wireless network 292 and the communication system298A stores the navigation data 295A in the memory 297A of the transport276.

The ECU 293A controls the operation of many of the systems of thetransport 276, including the ADAS systems 294A. The ECU 293A may,responsive to instructions received from the navigation system 295A,deactivate any unsafe and/or unselected autonomous features for theduration of a journey controlled by the ADAS systems 294A. In this way,the navigation system 295A may control whether ADAS systems 294A areactivated or enabled so that they may be activated for a givennavigation route.

The sensor set 292A may include any sensors in the transport 276generating sensor data. For example, the sensor set 292A may includeshort-range sensors and long-range sensors. In some embodiments, thesensor set 292A of the transport 276 may include one or more of thefollowing vehicle sensors: a camera, a LIDAR sensor, an ultrasonicsensor, an automobile engine sensor, a radar sensor, a laser altimeter,a manifold absolute pressure sensor, an infrared detector, a motiondetector, a thermostat, a sound detector, a carbon monoxide sensor, acarbon dioxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, a mass airflow sensor, anengine coolant temperature sensor, a throttle position sensor, acrankshaft position sensor, a valve timer, an air-fuel ratio meter, ablind spot meter, a curb feeler, a defect detector, a Hall effectsensor, a parking sensor, a radar gun, a speedometer, a speed sensor, atire-pressure monitoring sensor, a torque sensor, a transmission fluidtemperature sensor, a turbine speed sensor (TSS), a variable reluctancesensor, a vehicle speed sensor (VSS), a water sensor, a wheel speedsensor, a GPS sensor, a mapping functionality, and any other type ofautomotive sensor. The navigation system 295A may store the sensor datain the memory 297A.

The communication unit 298A transmits and receives data to and from thenetwork 292 or to another communication channel. In some embodiments,the communication unit 298A may include a DSRC transceiver, a DSRCreceiver and other hardware or software necessary to make the transport276 a DSRC-equipped device.

The transport 276 may interact with other transports 277 via V2Vtechnology. V2V communication includes sensing radar informationcorresponding to relative distances to external objects, receiving GPSinformation of the transports, setting areas as areas where the othertransports 277 are located based on the sensed radar information,calculating probabilities that the GPS information of the objectvehicles will be located at the set areas, and identifying transportsand/or objects corresponding to the radar information and the GPSinformation of the object vehicles based on the calculatedprobabilities, in one embodiment.

In one embodiment, the solutions described and depicted herein can beutilized to manage emergency scenarios and transport features when atransport is determined to be entering an area without network access.In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to manage andprovide features in a transport (such as audio, video, navigation, etc.)without network connection. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to determine when a profile of a person in proximity to thetransport matches profile attributes of a profile of at least oneoccupant in the transport. A notification is sent from the transport toestablish communication.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to analyze theavailability of occupants in respective transports that are availablefor a voice communication based on an amount of time remaining in thetransport and context of the communication to be performed. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to determine two levelsof threat of roadway obstruction and receiving a gesture that mayindicate that the obstruction is not rising to an alert above athreshold, and proceeding, by the transport along the roadway. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to delete sensitive datafrom a transport when the transport has had damage such that it isrendered unable to be used.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to verify that thecustomer data to be removed has truly been removed from all of therequired locations within the enterprise demonstrating GDPR compliance.In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provideconsideration from one transport to another transport in exchange fordata related to safety, important notifications, etc. to enhance theautonomous capabilities of the lower level autonomous vehicle. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability fora transport to receive data based on a first biometric associated withan occupant. Then the transport unencrypts the encrypted data based on averification of a second biometric, wherein the second biometric is acontinuum of the first biometric. The transport provides the unencrypteddata to the occupant when only the occupant is able to receive theunencrypted data and deletes a sensitive portion of the unencrypted dataas the sensitive portion is being provided and a non-sensitive portionafter a period of time associated with the biometric elapses. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability fora transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grippressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide a feature to acar that exists but is not currently enabled presenting features to anoccupant of the automobile that reflects the occupant's characteristics.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to allow for themodification of a transport, particularly the interior of the transportas well as the exterior of the transport to reflect, and assist at leastone occupant, in one embodiment. In another embodiment, recreating anoccupant's work and/or home environment is disclosed. The system mayattempt to “recreate” the user's work/home environment while the user isin the transport if it determines that the user is in “work mode” or“home mode”. All data related to the interior and exterior of thetransport as well as the various occupants utilizing the transport arestored on a blockchain and executed via smart contracts. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to detect occupantgestures to assist in communicating with nearby transports wherein thetransport may maneuver accordingly. In one embodiment, the solutions canalso be utilized to provide the ability for a transport to detectintended gestures using a gesture definition datastore. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability fora transport to take various actions based on a gait and a gesture of auser. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to ensurethat a driver of a transport that is currently engaged in variousoperations (for example, driving while talking with navigation on, etc.)does not exceed an unsafe number of operations before being permitted togesture.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to assign a statusto each occupant in a transport and validating a gesture from anoccupant based on the occupant's status. In one embodiment, thesolutions can also be utilized to collect details of sound related to acollision (in what location, in what direction, rising or falling, fromwhat device, data associated with the device such as type, manufacturer,owner, as well as the number of contemporaneous sounds, and the timesthe sounds were emanated, etc.) and provide to the system where analysisof the data assists in determining details regarding the collision. Inone embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide adetermination that a transport is unsafe to operate. The transportincludes multiple components that interoperate to control the transport,and each component is associated with a separate component key. Acryptographic key is sent to the transport to decrease transportfunctionality. In response to receiving the cryptographic key, thetransport disables one or more of the component keys. Disabling the oneor more component keys results in one or more of limiting the transportto not move greater than a given speed, limiting the transport to notcome closer than a distance to another transport, and limiting thetransport to not travel greater than a threshold distance.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide anindication from one specific transport (that is about to vacate alocation) to another specific transport (that is seeking to occupy alocation), a blockchain is used to perform authentication andcoordination. In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized todetermine a fractional responsibility for a transport. Such as the casewhere multiple people own a single transport, and the use of thetransport, which may change over a period of time, is used by the systemto update the fractional ownership. Other embodiments will be includedin the application including a minimal ownership of a transport based onnot the use of the transport, but the availability of the transport, andthe determination of the driver of the transport as well as others.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to permit in atransport a user to his/her subscriptions with a closed group of peoplesuch as family members or friends. For example, a user might want toshare a membership, and if so, associated transactions are stored in ablockchain or traditional database. When the subscribed materials arerequested by a user, who is not a primary subscriber, a blockchain node(i.e., a transport) can verify that a person requesting a service is anauthorized person with whom the subscriber has shared the profile. Inone embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to allow a person toutilize supplemental transport(s) to arrive at an intended destination.A functional relationship value (e.g., value that indicates the variousparameters and their importance in determining what type of alternatetransport to utilize) is used in determining the supplemental transport.In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to allow theoccupants in an accident to have access to other transports to continueto their initial destination.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to propagate asoftware/firmware upload to a first subset of transports. This first setof transports test the update, and when the test is successful, theupdate is propagated to a further set of transports. In one embodiment,the solutions can also be utilized to propagate software/firmwareupdates to vehicles from a master transport where the update ispropagated through the network of vehicles from a first subset, then alarger subset, etc. A portion of the update may be first sent, then theremaining portion sent from the same or another vehicle. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an update fora transport's computer to the transport and a transportoperator's/occupant's device. The update is maybe authorized by alldrivers and/or all occupants. The software update is provided to thevehicle and the device(s). The user does not have to do anything but goproximate to the vehicle and the functionality automatically occurs. Anotification is sent to the device(s) indicating that the softwareupdate is completed. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to validate that an OTA software update is performed by aqualified technician and generation, by the one or more transportcomponents, of a status related to: an originator of the validationcode, a procedure for wirelessly receiving the software update,information contained in the software update, and results of thevalidation.

In one embodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide theability to parse a software update located in a first component by asecond component. Then verifying the first portion of critical updatesand a second portion of non-critical updates, assigning the verifiedfirst portion to one process in the transport, running the verifiedfirst portion with the one process for a period of time, and responsiveto positive results based on the period of time, running the verifiedfirst portion with other processes after the period of time. In oneembodiment, the solutions can also be utilized to provide a selection ofservices to an occupant where the services are based on a profile of anoccupant of the transport, and a shared profile which is shared with theprofile of the occupant. In one embodiment, the solutions can also beutilized to store user profile data in a blockchain and intelligentlypresent offers and recommendations to a user based on the user'sautomatically gathered history of purchases and preferences acquiredfrom the user profile on the blockchain.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of a transport requesting recharging poweraccording to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3 , in 302, themethod may include establishing a communication channel between acomputing system associated with a plurality of available power sourcesand a transport comprising a rechargeable battery that is configured topower the transport. For example, the transport may establish thecommunication channel via an interface of the transport such as awireless interface, a port (e.g., via a cable plugged into a network,etc.) and the like. Here, the computing system may be a remote server orthe like which is able to connect to the transport via the Internet.

In 304, the method may include estimating a value of power to be used tocharge the rechargeable battery over a predetermined period of time. Forexample, the transport may estimate the amount of power it will needover a future period of time (e.g., the next week, etc.) based onhistorical usage patterns of the transport, a user input, or the like.The amount of power may also be referred to as the amount of charge tosupplied from a power source to the rechargeable battery of thetransport.

In 306, the method may include generating a request that identifies thevalue of power in a first field and identifies a power source in asecond field from among a plurality of available power sources to sourcethe amount of charge, and in 308, the method may include transmittingthe request from the transport to a computing system via the establishedcommunication channel. The request may be generated by the transport andmay identify a type of power that is to be supplied/delivered to acharging station associated with the transport. For example, the requestmay specify one or more power sources from among a wind farm, a solarplant, a coal-powered electric plant, a hydro plant, a nuclear plant,and the like. In some embodiments, the request may identify multiplesources of power to be drawn (e.g., 50% solar and 50% from the electricpower grid, etc.)

In some embodiments, the method may further include estimating a valueof power to be used to charge a secondary system associated withtransport, and combining the estimated value of power to be used tocharge the rechargeable battery with the estimated value of power to beused to charge the secondary system in the first field, prior totransmission of the request to the computing system. In someembodiments, the computing system may be a central node that isconnected to the plurality of available power sources, and thegenerating may include generating a request that identifies one or moreof a cleanest energy source and a cheapest energy source in the secondfield, and deferring to the central node to select an available powersource.

In some embodiments, the method may further include storing anidentifier of a charging station where the value of power from theidentified power source is to be delivered in a third field of therequest, prior to transmission of the request to the computing system.In some embodiments, the transport may include a plurality ofrechargeable batteries. In this example, the method may further includeadding an identifier of a rechargeable battery from among the pluralityof rechargeable batteries within a third field of the request, prior totransmission of the request to the computing system.

In some embodiments, the transport may include a moveable (dynamic)blockchain node within a blockchain network that includes a plurality ofmoveable blockchain nodes and a plurality of static blockchain nodes. Inthis example, the method may further include storing a value of powerconsumed by the rechargeable battery, an identifier of the power source,and an identifier of the transport on a blockchain of the blockchainnetwork. In some embodiments, the method may further includeelectrically connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging stationand receiving the requested value of charge from the identified powersource while electrically connected to the charging station.

FIG. 4 illustrates a machine learning transport network diagram 400,according to example embodiments. The network 400 includes a transportnode 402 that interfaces with a machine learning subsystem 406. Thetransport node includes one or more sensors 404.

The machine learning subsystem 406 contains a learning model 408, whichis a mathematical artifact created by a machine learning training system410 that generates predictions by finding patterns in one or moretraining data sets. In some embodiments, the machine learning subsystem406 resides in the transport node 402. In other embodiments, the machinelearning subsystem 406 resides outside of the transport node 402.

The transport node 402 sends data from the one or more sensors 404 tothe machine learning subsystem 406. The machine learning subsystem 406provides the one or more sensor 404 data to the learning model 408,which returns one or more predictions. The machine learning subsystem406 sends one or more instructions to the transport node 402 based onthe predictions from the learning model 408.

In a further embodiment, the transport node 402 may send the one or moresensor 404 data to the machine learning training system 410. In yetanother embodiment, the machine learning subsystem 406 may sent thesensor 404 data to the machine learning subsystem 410. One or more ofthe applications, features, steps, solutions, etc., described and/ordepicted herein may utilize the machine learning network 400 asdescribed herein.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example vehicle configuration 500 for managingdatabase transactions associated with a vehicle, according to exampleembodiments. Referring to FIG. 5A, as a particular transport/vehicle 525is engaged in transactions (e.g., vehicle service, dealer transactions,delivery/pickup, transportation services, etc.), the vehicle may receiveassets 510 and/or expel/transfer assets 512 according to atransaction(s). A transport processor 526 resides in the vehicle 525 andcommunication exists between the transport processor 526, a database530, a transport processor 526 and the transaction module 520. Thetransaction module 520 may record information, such as assets, parties,credits, service descriptions, date, time, location, results,notifications, unexpected events, etc. Those transactions in thetransaction module 520 may be replicated into a database 530. Thedatabase 530 can be one of a SQL database, an RDBMS, a relationaldatabase, a non-relational database, a blockchain, a distributed ledger,and may be on board the transport, may be off board the transport, maybe accessible directly and/or through a network, or be accessible to thetransport.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example vehicle configuration 550 for managingdatabase transactions conducted among various vehicles, according toexample embodiments. The vehicle 525 may engage with another vehicle 508to perform various actions such as to share, transfer, acquire servicecalls, etc. when the vehicle has reached a status where the servicesneed to be shared with another vehicle. For example, the vehicle 508 maybe due for a battery charge and/or may have an issue with a tire and maybe in route to pick up a package for delivery. A transport processor 528resides in the vehicle 508 and communication exists between thetransport processor 528, a database 554, and the transaction module 552.The vehicle 508 may notify another vehicle 525, which is in its networkand which operates on its blockchain member service. A transportprocessor 526 resides in the vehicle 525 and communication existsbetween the transport processor 526, a database 530, the transportprocessor 526 and a transaction module 520. The vehicle 525 may thenreceive the information via a wireless communication request to performthe package pickup from the vehicle 508 and/or from a server (notshown). The transactions are logged in the transaction modules 552 and520 of both vehicles. The credits are transferred from vehicle 508 tovehicle 525 and the record of the transferred service is logged in thedatabase 530/554 assuming that the blockchains are different from oneanother, or are logged in the same blockchain used by all members. Thedatabase 554 can be one of a SQL database, an RDBMS, a relationaldatabase, a non-relational database, a blockchain, a distributed ledger,and may be on board the transport, may be off board the transport, maybe accessible directly and/or through a network.

FIG. 6A illustrates a blockchain architecture configuration 600,according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 6A, the blockchainarchitecture 600 may include certain blockchain elements, for example, agroup of blockchain member nodes 602-606 as part of a blockchain group610. In one example embodiment, a permissioned blockchain is notaccessible to all parties but only to those members with permissionedaccess to the blockchain data. The blockchain nodes participate in anumber of activities, such as blockchain entry addition and validationprocess (consensus). One or more of the blockchain nodes may endorseentries based on an endorsement policy and may provide an orderingservice for all blockchain nodes. A blockchain node may initiate ablockchain action (such as an authentication) and seek to write to ablockchain immutable ledger stored in the blockchain, a copy of whichmay also be stored on the underpinning physical infrastructure.

The blockchain transactions 620 are stored in memory of computers as thetransactions are received and approved by the consensus model dictatedby the members' nodes. Approved transactions 626 are stored in currentblocks of the blockchain and committed to the blockchain via a committalprocedure, which includes performing a hash of the data contents of thetransactions in a current block and referencing a previous hash of aprevious block. Within the blockchain, one or more smart contracts 630may exist that define the terms of transaction agreements and actionsincluded in smart contract executable application code 632, such asregistered recipients, vehicle features, requirements, permissions,sensor thresholds, etc. The code may be configured to identify whetherrequesting entities are registered to receive vehicle services, whatservice features they are entitled/required to receive given theirprofile statuses and whether to monitor their actions in subsequentevents. For example, when a service event occurs and a user is riding inthe vehicle, the sensor data monitoring may be triggered, and a certainparameter, such as a vehicle charge level, may be identified as beingabove/below a particular threshold for a particular period of time, thenthe result may be a change to a current status, which requires an alertto be sent to the managing party (i.e., vehicle owner, vehicle operator,server, etc.) so the service can be identified and stored for reference.The vehicle sensor data collected may be based on types of sensor dataused to collect information about vehicle's status. The sensor data mayalso be the basis for the vehicle event data 634, such as a location(s)to be traveled, an average speed, a top speed, acceleration rates,whether there were any collisions, was the expected route taken, what isthe next destination, whether safety measures are in place, whether thevehicle has enough charge/fuel, etc. All such information may be thebasis of smart contract terms 630, which are then stored in ablockchain. For example, sensor thresholds stored in the smart contractcan be used as the basis for whether a detected service is necessary andwhen and where the service should be performed.

FIG. 6B illustrates a shared ledger configuration, according to exampleembodiments. Referring to FIG. 6B, the blockchain logic example 640includes a blockchain application interface 642 as an API or plug-inapplication that links to the computing device and execution platformfor a particular transaction. The blockchain configuration 640 mayinclude one or more applications, which are linked to applicationprogramming interfaces (APIs) to access and execute storedprogram/application code (e.g., smart contract executable code, smartcontracts, etc.), which can be created according to a customizedconfiguration sought by participants and can maintain their own state,control their own assets, and receive external information. This can bedeployed as an entry and installed, via appending to the distributedledger, on all blockchain nodes.

The smart contract application code 644 provides a basis for theblockchain transactions by establishing application code, which whenexecuted causes the transaction terms and conditions to become active.The smart contract 630, when executed, causes certain approvedtransactions 626 to be generated, which are then forwarded to theblockchain platform 652. The platform includes a security/authorization658, computing devices, which execute the transaction management 656 anda storage portion 654 as a memory that stores transactions and smartcontracts in the blockchain.

The blockchain platform may include various layers of blockchain data,services (e.g., cryptographic trust services, virtual executionenvironment, etc.), and underpinning physical computer infrastructurethat may be used to receive and store new entries and provide access toauditors, which are seeking to access data entries. The blockchain mayexpose an interface that provides access to the virtual executionenvironment necessary to process the program code and engage thephysical infrastructure. Cryptographic trust services may be used toverify entries such as asset exchange entries and keep informationprivate.

The blockchain architecture configuration of FIGS. 6A and 6B may processand execute program/application code via one or more interfaces exposed,and services provided, by the blockchain platform. As a non-limitingexample, smart contracts may be created to execute reminders, updates,and/or other notifications subject to the changes, updates, etc. Thesmart contracts can be used to identify rules associated withauthorization and access requirements and usage of the ledger. Forexample, the information may include a new entry, which may be processedby one or more processing entities (e.g., processors, virtual machines,etc.) included in the blockchain layer. The result may include adecision to reject or approve the new entry based on the criteriadefined in the smart contract and/or a consensus of the peers. Thephysical infrastructure may be utilized to retrieve any of the data orinformation described herein.

Within smart contract executable code, a smart contract may be createdvia a high-level application and programming language, and then writtento a block in the blockchain. The smart contract may include executablecode that is registered, stored, and/or replicated with a blockchain(e.g., distributed network of blockchain peers). An entry is anexecution of the smart contract code, which can be performed in responseto conditions associated with the smart contract being satisfied. Theexecuting of the smart contract may trigger a trusted modification(s) toa state of a digital blockchain ledger. The modification(s) to theblockchain ledger caused by the smart contract execution may beautomatically replicated throughout the distributed network ofblockchain peers through one or more consensus protocols.

The smart contract may write data to the blockchain in the format ofkey-value pairs. Furthermore, the smart contract code can read thevalues stored in a blockchain and use them in application operations.The smart contract code can write the output of various logic operationsinto the blockchain. The code may be used to create a temporary datastructure in a virtual machine or other computing platform. Data writtento the blockchain can be public and/or can be encrypted and maintainedas private. The temporary data that is used/generated by the smartcontract is held in memory by the supplied execution environment, thendeleted once the data needed for the blockchain is identified.

A smart contract executable code may include the code interpretation ofa smart contract, with additional features. As described herein, thesmart contract executable code may be program code deployed on acomputing network, where it is executed and validated by chainvalidators together during a consensus process. The smart contractexecutable code receives a hash and retrieves from the blockchain a hashassociated with the data template created by use of a previously storedfeature extractor. If the hashes of the hash identifier and the hashcreated from the stored identifier template data match, then the smartcontract executable code sends an authorization key to the requestedservice. The smart contract executable code may write to the blockchaindata associated with the cryptographic details.

FIG. 6C illustrates a blockchain configuration for storing blockchaintransaction data, according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG.6C, the example configuration 660 provides for the vehicle 662, the userdevice 664 and a server 666 sharing information with a distributedledger (i.e., blockchain) 668. The server may represent a serviceprovider entity inquiring with a vehicle service provider to share userprofile rating information in the event that a known and establisheduser profile is attempting to rent a vehicle with an established ratedprofile. The server 666 may be receiving and processing data related toa vehicle's service requirements. As the service events occur, such asthe vehicle sensor data indicates a need for fuel/charge, a maintenanceservice, etc., a smart contract may be used to invoke rules, thresholds,sensor information gathering, etc., which may be used to invoke thevehicle service event. The blockchain transaction data 670 is saved foreach transaction, such as the access event, the subsequent updates to avehicle's service status, event updates, etc. The transactions mayinclude the parties, the requirements (e.g., 18 years of age, serviceeligible candidate, valid driver's license, etc.), compensation levels,the distance traveled during the event, the registered recipientspermitted to access the event and host a vehicle service,rights/permissions, sensor data retrieved during the vehicle eventoperation to log details of the next service event and identify avehicle's condition status, and thresholds used to make determinationsabout whether the service event was completed and whether the vehicle'scondition status has changed.

FIG. 6D illustrates blockchain blocks 680 that can be added to adistributed ledger, according to example embodiments, and contents ofblock structures 682A to 682 n. Referring to FIG. 6D, clients (notshown) may submit entries to blockchain nodes to enact activity on theblockchain. As an example, clients may be applications that act onbehalf of a requester, such as a device, person or entity to proposeentries for the blockchain. The plurality of blockchain peers (e.g.,blockchain nodes) may maintain a state of the blockchain network and acopy of the distributed ledger. Different types of blockchainnodes/peers may be present in the blockchain network including endorsingpeers, which simulate and endorse entries proposed by clients andcommitting peers which verify endorsements, validate entries, and commitentries to the distributed ledger. In this example, the blockchain nodesmay perform the role of endorser node, committer node, or both.

The instant system includes a blockchain that stores immutable,sequenced records in blocks, and a state database (current world state)maintaining a current state of the blockchain. One distributed ledgermay exist per channel and each peer maintains its own copy of thedistributed ledger for each channel of which they are a member. Theinstant blockchain is an entry log, structured as hash-linked blockswhere each block contains a sequence of N entries. Blocks may includevarious components such as those shown in FIG. 6D. The linking of theblocks may be generated by adding a hash of a prior block's headerwithin a block header of a current block. In this way, all entries onthe blockchain are sequenced and cryptographically linked togetherpreventing tampering with blockchain data without breaking the hashlinks. Furthermore, because of the links, the latest block in theblockchain represents every entry that has come before it. The instantblockchain may be stored on a peer file system (local or attachedstorage), which supports an append-only blockchain workload.

The current state of the blockchain and the distributed ledger may bestored in the state database. Here, the current state data representsthe latest values for all keys ever included in the chain entry log ofthe blockchain. Smart contract executable code invocations executeentries against the current state in the state database. To make thesesmart contract executable code interactions extremely efficient, thelatest values of all keys are stored in the state database. The statedatabase may include an indexed view into the entry log of theblockchain, it can therefore be regenerated from the chain at any time.The state database may automatically get recovered (or generated ifneeded) upon peer startup, before entries are accepted.

Endorsing nodes receive entries from clients and endorse the entry basedon simulated results. Endorsing nodes hold smart contracts, whichsimulate the entry proposals. When an endorsing node endorses an entry,the endorsing nodes creates an entry endorsement, which is a signedresponse from the endorsing node to the client application indicatingthe endorsement of the simulated entry. The method of endorsing an entrydepends on an endorsement policy that may be specified within smartcontract executable code. An example of an endorsement policy is “themajority of endorsing peers must endorse the entry.” Different channelsmay have different endorsement policies. Endorsed entries are forward bythe client application to an ordering service.

The ordering service accepts endorsed entries, orders them into a block,and delivers the blocks to the committing peers. For example, theordering service may initiate a new block when a threshold of entrieshas been reached, a timer times out, or another condition. In thisexample, blockchain node is a committing peer that has received a datablock 682A for storage on the blockchain. The ordering service may bemade up of a cluster of orderers. The ordering service does not processentries, smart contracts, or maintain the shared ledger. Rather, theordering service may accept the endorsed entries and specifies the orderin which those entries are committed to the distributed ledger. Thearchitecture of the blockchain network may be designed such that thespecific implementation of ‘ordering’ (e.g., Solo, Kafka, BFT, etc.)becomes a pluggable component.

Entries are written to the distributed ledger in a consistent order. Theorder of entries is established to ensure that the updates to the statedatabase are valid when they are committed to the network. Unlike acryptocurrency blockchain system (e.g., Bitcoin, etc.) where orderingoccurs through the solving of a cryptographic puzzle, or mining, in thisexample the parties of the distributed ledger may choose the orderingmechanism that best suits that network.

Referring to FIG. 6D, a block 682A (also referred to as a data block)that is stored on the blockchain and/or the distributed ledger mayinclude multiple data segments such as a block header 684A to 684 n,transaction specific data 686A to 686 n, and block metadata 688A to 688n. It should be appreciated that the various depicted blocks and theircontents, such as block 682A and its contents are merely for purposes ofan example and are not meant to limit the scope of the exampleembodiments. In some cases, both the block header 684A and the blockmetadata 688A may be smaller than the transaction specific data 686A,which stores entry data; however, this is not a requirement. The block682A may store transactional information of N entries (e.g., 100, 500,1000, 2000, 3000, etc.) within the block data 690A to 690 n. The block682A may also include a link to a previous block (e.g., on theblockchain) within the block header 684A. In particular, the blockheader 684A may include a hash of a previous block's header. The blockheader 684A may also include a unique block number, a hash of the blockdata 690A of the current block 682A, and the like. The block number ofthe block 682A may be unique and assigned in an incremental/sequentialorder starting from zero. The first block in the blockchain may bereferred to as a genesis block, which includes information about theblockchain, its members, the data stored therein, etc.

The block data 690A may store entry information of each entry that isrecorded within the block. For example, the entry data may include oneor more of a type of the entry, a version, a timestamp, a channel ID ofthe distributed ledger, an entry ID, an epoch, a payload visibility, asmart contract executable code path (deploy tx), a smart contractexecutable code name, a smart contract executable code version, input(smart contract executable code and functions), a client (creator)identify such as a public key and certificate, a signature of theclient, identities of endorsers, endorser signatures, a proposal hash,smart contract executable code events, response status, namespace, aread set (list of key and version read by the entry, etc.), a write set(list of key and value, etc.), a start key, an end key, a list of keys,a Merkel tree query summary, and the like. The entry data may be storedfor each of the N entries.

In some embodiments, the block data 690A may also store transactionspecific data 686A, which adds additional information to the hash-linkedchain of blocks in the blockchain. Accordingly, the data 686A can bestored in an immutable log of blocks on the distributed ledger. Some ofthe benefits of storing such data 686A are reflected in the variousembodiments disclosed and depicted herein. The block metadata 688A maystore multiple fields of metadata (e.g., as a byte array, etc.).Metadata fields may include signature on block creation, a reference toa last configuration block, an entry filter identifying valid andinvalid entries within the block, last offset persisted of an orderingservice that ordered the block, and the like. The signature, the lastconfiguration block, and the orderer metadata may be added by theordering service. Meanwhile, a committer of the block (such as ablockchain node) may add validity/invalidity information based on anendorsement policy, verification of read/write sets, and the like. Theentry filter may include a byte array of a size equal to the number ofentries in the block data 610A and a validation code identifying whetheran entry was valid/invalid.

The other blocks 682B to 682 n in the blockchain also have headers,files, and values. However, unlike the first block 682A, each of theheaders 684A to 684 n in the other blocks includes the hash value of animmediately preceding block. The hash value of the immediately precedingblock may be just the hash of the header of the previous block or may bethe hash value of the entire previous block. By including the hash valueof a preceding block in each of the remaining blocks, a trace can beperformed from the Nth block back to the genesis block (and theassociated original file) on a block-by-block basis, as indicated byarrows 692, to establish an auditable and immutable chain-of-custody.

The above embodiments may be implemented in hardware, in a computerprogram executed by a processor, in firmware, or in a combination of theabove. A computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium,such as a storage medium. For example, a computer program may reside inrandom access memory (“RAM”), flash memory, read-only memory (“ROM”),erasable programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), registers, hard disk, aremovable disk, a compact disk read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), or any otherform of storage medium known in the art.

An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such thatthe processor may read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in anapplication specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). In the alternative,the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components.For example, FIG. 7 illustrates an example computer system architecture700, which may represent or be integrated in any of the above-describedcomponents, etc.

FIG. 7 is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of useor functionality of embodiments of the application described herein.Regardless, the computing node 700 is capable of being implementedand/or performing any of the functionality set forth hereinabove.

In computing node 700 there is a computer system/server 702, which isoperational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 702 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 702 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 702 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 7 , computer system/server 702 in cloud computing node700 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 702 may include, but are notlimited to, one or more processors or processing units 704, a systemmemory 706, and a bus that couples various system components includingsystem memory 706 to processor 704.

The bus represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 702 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 702, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. System memory706, in one embodiment, implements the flow diagrams of the otherfigures. The system memory 706 can include computer system readablemedia in the form of volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM)708 and/or cache memory 710. Computer system/server 702 may furtherinclude other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computersystem storage media. By way of example only, memory 706 can be providedfor reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magneticmedia (not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although notshown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to aremovable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and anoptical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable,non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other opticalmedia can be provided. In such instances, each can be connected to thebus by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depictedand described below, memory 706 may include at least one program producthaving a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configuredto carry out the functions of various embodiments of the application.

Program/utility, having a set (at least one) of program modules, may bestored in memory 706 by way of example, and not limitation, as well asan operating system, one or more application programs, other programmodules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one or moreapplication programs, other program modules, and program data or somecombination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of various embodiments of the application as describedherein.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentapplication may be embodied as a system, method, or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present application may take theform of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present application may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Computer system/server 702 may also communicate with one or moreexternal devices via an I/O device 712 (such as an I/O adapter), whichmay include a keyboard, a pointing device, a display, a voicerecognition module, etc., one or more devices that enable a user tointeract with computer system/server 702, and/or any devices (e.g.,network card, modem, etc.) that enable computer system/server 702 tocommunicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communicationcan occur via I/O interfaces of the device 712. Still yet, computersystem/server 702 can communicate with one or more networks such as alocal area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or apublic network (e.g., the Internet) via a network adapter. As depicted,device 712 communicates with the other components of computersystem/server 702 via a bus. It should be understood that although notshown, other hardware and/or software components could be used inconjunction with computer system/server 702. Examples, include, but arenot limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units,external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archivalstorage systems, etc.

Although an exemplary embodiment of at least one of a system, method,and non-transitory computer readable medium has been illustrated in theaccompanied drawings and described in the foregoing detaileddescription, it will be understood that the application is not limitedto the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements,modifications, and substitutions as set forth and defined by thefollowing claims. For example, the capabilities of the system of thevarious figures can be performed by one or more of the modules orcomponents described herein or in a distributed architecture and mayinclude a transmitter, receiver or pair of both. For example, all orpart of the functionality performed by the individual modules, may beperformed by one or more of these modules. Further, the functionalitydescribed herein may be performed at various times and in relation tovarious events, internal or external to the modules or components. Also,the information sent between various modules can be sent between themodules via at least one of: a data network, the Internet, a voicenetwork, an Internet Protocol network, a wireless device, a wired deviceand/or via plurality of protocols. Also, the messages sent or receivedby any of the modules may be sent or received directly and/or via one ormore of the other modules.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that a “system” could be embodiedas a personal computer, a server, a console, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a cell phone, a tablet computing device, a smartphoneor any other suitable computing device, or combination of devices.Presenting the above-described functions as being performed by a“system” is not intended to limit the scope of the present applicationin any way but is intended to provide one example of many embodiments.Indeed, methods, systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may beimplemented in localized and distributed forms consistent with computingtechnology.

It should be noted that some of the system features described in thisspecification have been presented as modules, in order to moreparticularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, amodule may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom verylarge-scale integration (VLSI) circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelfsemiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discretecomponents. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardwaredevices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable arraylogic, programmable logic devices, graphics processing units, or thelike.

A module may also be at least partially implemented in software forexecution by various types of processors. An identified unit ofexecutable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical orlogical blocks of computer instructions that may, for instance, beorganized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, theexecutables of an identified module need not be physically locatedtogether but may comprise disparate instructions stored in differentlocations that when joined logically together, comprise the module andachieve the stated purpose for the module. Further, modules may bestored on a computer-readable medium, which may be, for instance, a harddisk drive, flash device, random access memory (RAM), tape, or any othersuch medium used to store data.

Indeed, a module of executable code could be a single instruction, ormany instructions, and may even be distributed over several differentcode segments, among different programs, and across several memorydevices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustratedherein within modules and may be embodied in any suitable form andorganized within any suitable type of data structure. The operationaldata may be collected as a single data set or may be distributed overdifferent locations including over different storage devices, and mayexist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system ornetwork.

It will be readily understood that the components of the application, asgenerally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may bearranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments is not intended tolimit the scope of the application as claimed but is merelyrepresentative of selected embodiments of the application.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that theabove may be practiced with steps in a different order, and/or withhardware elements in configurations that are different than those whichare disclosed. Therefore, although the application has been describedbased upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those ofskill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternativeconstructions would be apparent.

While preferred embodiments of the present application have beendescribed, it is to be understood that the embodiments described areillustrative only and the scope of the application is to be definedsolely by the appended claims when considered with a full range ofequivalents and modifications (e.g., protocols, hardware devices,software platforms etc.) thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transport, comprising: a rechargeable batteryconfigured to power the transport; a processor configured to determine,via a software application, energy needs of a power grid associated withthe transport; determine a value of charge power for the rechargeablebattery based on a power level of the rechargeable battery and determinea type of energy from which to draw power based on the determined energyneeds of the power grid, and generate a request message and store thevalue of charge power in a first field within the request message andthe type of energy from which to draw the charge power in a second fieldof the request message; and an interface configured to transmit therequest message from the transport to a computing system associated witha charging station.
 2. The transport of claim 1, wherein the processoris further configured to determine an additional value of charge powerto be used to charge a secondary system associated with transport, andcombine the value of charge power to be used to charge the rechargeablebattery and the additional value of charge power to be used to chargethe secondary system in the first field, prior to transmission of therequest message to the computing system.
 3. The transport of claim 1,wherein the computing system comprises a central node that is connectedto a plurality of available power sources of the charging station, andthe processor is configured to request one or more of a cleanest energysource and a cheapest energy source in the second field, and defer tothe computing system to select an available power source.
 4. Thetransport of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured tostore an identifier of a charging station where the value of chargepower from the identified power source is to be delivered in a thirdfield of the request message, prior to transmission of the requestmessage to the computing system.
 5. The transport of claim 1, whereinthe transport comprises a plurality of rechargeable batteries, and theprocessor is further configured to add an identifier of a rechargeablebattery from among the plurality of rechargeable batteries within athird field of the request message, prior to transmission of the requestmessage to the computing system.
 6. The transport of claim 1, whereinthe transport comprises a moveable blockchain node within a blockchainnetwork that includes a plurality of moveable blockchain nodes and aplurality of static blockchain nodes, and the processor is furtherconfigured to store a value of power consumed by the rechargeablebattery, an identifier of the power source, and an identifier of thetransport on a blockchain of the blockchain network.
 7. The transport ofclaim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to electricallyconnect to the charging station and receive the requested value ofcharge power while electrically connected to the charging station.
 8. Amethod, comprising: establishing a communication channel between acomputing system associated with a plurality of available power sourcesand a transport comprising a rechargeable battery that is configured topower the transport; determining, via a software application, energyneeds of a power grid associated with the transport; determining a valueof charge power for the rechargeable battery based on a power level ofthe rechargeable battery and determine a type of energy from which todraw power based on the determined energy needs of the power grid;generating a request message and storing the value of charge power in afirst field within the request message and the type of energy from whichto draw the charge power in a second field of the request message; andtransmitting the request message from the transport to the computingsystem via the established communication channel.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the method further comprises determining an additional valueof charge power to be used to charge a secondary system associated withtransport, and combining the value of charge power to be used to chargethe rechargeable battery and the additional value of charge power to beused to charge the secondary system in the first field, prior totransmission of the request message to the computing system.
 10. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the computing system comprises a central nodethat is connected to a plurality of available power sources of thecharging station, and the generating comprises generating a request thatidentifies one or more of a cleanest energy source and a cheapest energysource in the second field, and deferring to the computing system toselect an available power source.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein themethod further comprises storing an identifier of a charging stationwhere the value of charge power from the identified power source is tobe delivered in a third field of the request message, prior totransmission of the request message to the computing system.
 12. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the transport comprises a plurality ofrechargeable batteries, and the method further comprises adding anidentifier of a rechargeable battery from among the plurality ofrechargeable batteries within a third field of the request message,prior to transmission of the request message to the computing system.13. The method of claim 8, wherein the transport comprises a moveableblockchain node within a blockchain network that includes a plurality ofmoveable blockchain nodes and a plurality of static blockchain nodes,and the method further comprises storing a value of power consumed bythe rechargeable battery, an identifier of the power source, and anidentifier of the transport on a blockchain of the blockchain network.14. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further compriseselectrically connecting the rechargeable battery to the charging stationand receiving the requested value of charge power while electricallyconnected to the charging station.
 15. A non-transitory computerreadable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,cause the processor to perform a method comprising: establishing acommunication channel between a computing system associated with aplurality of available power sources and a transport comprising arechargeable battery that is configured to power the transport;determining, via a software application, energy needs of a power gridassociated with the transport; determining a value of charge power forthe rechargeable battery based on a power level of the rechargeablebattery and determine a type of energy from which to draw power based onthe determined energy needs of the power grid; generating a requestmessage and storing the value of charge power in a first field withinthe request message and the type of energy from which to draw the chargepower in a second field of the request message; and transmitting therequest message from the transport to the computing system via theestablished communication channel.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method furthercomprises determining an additional value of charge power to be used tocharge a secondary system associated with transport, and combining thevalue of charge power to be used to charge the rechargeable battery andthe additional value of charge power to be used to charge the secondarysystem in the first field, prior to transmission of the request messageto the computing system.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the generating comprises identifying one or more ofa cleanest energy source and a cheapest energy source and storing anidentifier of the one or more of the cleanest energy source and thecheapest energy source in the second field, and deferring to thecomputing system to select an available power source.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the methodfurther comprises storing an identifier of a charging station where thevalue of charge power from the identified power source is to bedelivered in a third field of the request message, prior to transmissionof the request message to the computing system.
 19. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transport comprises aplurality of rechargeable batteries, and the method further comprisesadding an identifier of a rechargeable battery from among the pluralityof rechargeable batteries within a third field of the request message,prior to transmission of the request message to the computing system.20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein thetransport comprises a moveable blockchain node within a blockchainnetwork that includes a plurality of moveable blockchain nodes and aplurality of static blockchain nodes, and the method further comprisesstoring a value of power consumed by the rechargeable battery, anidentifier of the power source, and an identifier of the transport on ablockchain of the blockchain network.